Tiama Mahogany

Entandrophragma angolense

Physical Characteristics

Entandrophragma angolense is a deciduous Tree growing to 50 m (164ft) by 30 m (98ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

Tropical Africa - Guinea and Sierra Leone, east to Sudan, south to Angola and Kenya.

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed Edible Uses: Edible portion: Seeds. No other information available.

Medicinal Uses

Anodyne Antiarthritic Antirheumatic Febrifuge Kidney Ophthalmic Parasiticide The bark is used in traditional medicine[ 299 ]. A decoction is drunk to treat fever[ 299 ]. The bark is also used, usually in external applications, as an anodyne against stomach-ache and peptic ulcers, earache, and kidney, rheumatic or arthritic pains[ 299 ]. It is also applied externally to treat ophthalmia, swellings and ulcers[ 299 ]. Methanol extracts of the bark have shown dose-dependent inhibitory effects on gastric ulcers[ 299 ]. The triterpenoid methyl angolensate, isolated from the bark, exerted inhibition of gastric ulceration and smooth muscle activity, and reduced the propulsive action of the gastrointestinal tract[ 299 ]. Methyl angolensate has shown sedative activity[ 299 ]. Bark extracts have shown moderate antiplasmodial activity; the compounds 7_-obacunylacetate and 24-methylenecycloartenol exhibited pronounced activity against chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum[ 299 ]. Tirucallane triterpenes have been isolated from a leaf extract[ 299 ].

Known Hazards

None known